Sol Hoopii

The most celebrated steel guitarist of the Hawaiian golden age was undoubtedly Sol Ho'opi'i, who first came to the mainland as a stowaway in 1919. He appeared on countless Hawaiian slide compilations, where liner notes typically described him with a single word -- "hot." Most of his 78s (over 200, in fact) were recorded in Los Angeles, where he enjoyed great popularity in such clubs as the Hula Hutt and Seven Seas. He appeared in many movies, toured the country advancing his rhythmic slide techniques, and left his stamp on an entire generation of lap steel and pedal steel guit...